The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
The olfactory perception of consumers is an important factor to consider when developing a certain beverage and/or food product. Through the sense of smell, consumers can gauge the freshness of a product and can sometimes determine whether they will like the product before consuming. As such, a pleasant aroma can induce consumers into trying the product and the overall experience can be enhanced by consuming a product with the combination of a pleasant smell and taste. Unfortunately, many consumers on the go are deprived of this olfactory experience because a majority of containers (e.g., beverage containers, soup containers, etc.) have lids that fail to provide a means of smelling the aroma of the beverage.
Some have recognized this flaw and have attempted to remedy the problem. One example of such is WO 2011/082333 to Sprunger, which discloses a beverage lid that has a pod (e.g., compartment) filled with aromatic material (e.g., coffee grind). The lid allows vapor rising from a hot beverage to pass through the aroma pod and to the user's nose. Unfortunately, this approach can be problematic if the aromatic material is accidentally wetted while filling the beverage container or drinking from the beverage container. In addition, the lid is relatively large and expensive since it requires a pod with an aromatic material.
A similar approach is described in WO 2009/126555 to Kaufman, which discloses a beverage lid that has a compartment for holding a sample of fresh beverage material. The compartment is placed near the user's nose, allowing the user to smell the beverage material when drinking from the lid. While the Kaufman lid can provide a pleasant aroma of fresh material, this approach is troublesome for those consumers that desire repeated use.
In another approach, GB 2473041 and GB 2473042 to Brown disclose a cup lid having a curved rim surface that is higher at the drinking aperture. The beverage flows through a liquid guide trough, which exposes the liquid to the air adjacent to the user's nose. Unfortunately, a user may run the risk of burning his/her upper lip because the lid's curved rim surface places the user's upper lip into the flow of the beverage in the guide trough. (In fact, Brown states that the user may desire to use their upper lip to test whether the beverage is too hot to drink. See Brown at page 25, lines 14-20.) Brown also fails to provide a controlled beverage flow rate and a comfortable/secure feeling for drinking hot beverages. Furthermore, Brown fails to contain and redirect the aroma to a concentrated point near the user's nose.
Finally, US 2011/0114655 to Bailey provides a cup lid that has a scent aperture positioned near the user's nose to allow aroma from the beverage to reach the user. Unfortunately, this approach increases the risk of spilling via the additional aperture. This approach also fails to allow the beverage to aerate outside of the container as it flows to the user's mouth.
As seen above, lids have evolved in an attempt to improve olfactory experience. Other modifications to lids that address other issues include the following: AU 2007100927 to Wall (a coffee lid that contains an advertisement); U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,023 to Barnett (a lid that has a concave main body portion that allows hot liquid to cool); US 2007/0012709 to Durdon (a lid having a drink-through opening and a stopper, which can be used to plug drink-through opening); US 2007/0075079 to Stokes (a lid having a beverage spout through which a primary liquid can flow and a sip hole through which a flavoring can flow); US 2008/0000921 to Leon (a lid having a spout and openings that allow liquid and vapor to pass through); US 2011/0100854 to Chapin (a can top shaped with grooves that reduces a build-up of debris); US 2012/0152968 to Bailey; U.S. Pat. No. 4,056,210 to Boyle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,260 to Prueher; U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,865 to Scattaregia; U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,373 to DeParales; U.S. Pat. No. 8,302,798 to Moss; US 20040232154 to Smith; US 20110049171 to Morgan; US 20120205390 to Portman; and WO2012104385 to Elias.
All publications cited herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Thus, there is still a need for improved lids that can be used to comfortably consume beverages and/or solid food products, and that enhance the olfactory experience of drinking an aromatic beverage while providing better comfort and protection when drinking hot beverages.